Surely at some watering hole along this rugby road Des Fitzgerald and Ger Earls bumped into each another and without spoken word burst into laughter. Fancy swerving three quarters! How did we make them at all?
Lesser opensides have been capped for Ireland than Young Munster’s ferocious elder Earls who was part of the provincial side that downed the Wallabies in 1992. All that needs reminding about Fitzgerald senior is that he was Ireland tighthead at the 1987 and 1991 World Cups.
The pair of them each deserve half the credit for creating the most outrageously talented schoolboys this country has seen.The shame so far is only 71 caps dating back to 2006 are shared between their sons. Nothing can be done about the wounds, the snaps, the creaks that cursed them since both toured Australia with the 2009 Lions.
Joe Schmidt moved the furniture to get them to Cardiff this weekend. Fitzgerald was picked on the left wing, with barely any time or form shown, as Ireland retained the Six Nations title in Edinburgh last March. Earls had been crocked even longer but the 13 jersey was surprisingly slapped on his back in Cardiff last month. He was patchy but sparkled.
Evidence
The evidence was there at the end of last season, a new element in his game as Munster’s season drew to a disappointing end in Belfast: Earls can stand them up in the tackle.
When George North knocked him out on the Welsh return visit to Dublin it wasn’t like that Hosea Gear forearm in New Zealand a few years previous. “The first question I asked the doctor (was), ‘did I knock him?’ That was the main thing for me but, yeah, I came around fully.
“I’m not the biggest winger or the biggest centre in the world so it can be tough at times but I’m quite happy with my defence recently. I’m starting to stick on big fellas now.
“That’s one part of my job maybe where I’ve been criticised at times, it’s quite an important position in the field to defend and if you miss a tackle there then, more than likely, there’s going to be a try. I’ve been quite happy with the way I’m going at the moment.”
Ger Earls used to stick on them. Des Fitzgerald would envelope them.
Quickly identified after countless dazzling displays at St Munchin’s and Blackrock, the boys met as 15-year-olds one summer outside Clane.
“I met Luke in Clongowes – we had Irish schools camps there. I was aware of him, sure, he was phenomenal in school. Then we played Irish Schools together and we clicked straight away off the field, like, being from two different parts of the country, two different upbringings even but we clicked straight away and played Irish Schools together so it started then.”
Different upbringings but an identical streak running through their lives. ‘The father of’ has become ‘my son is’. The first Earls try for Ireland came on his debut against Canada in 2008 at Thomond Park. Does he remember who threw him the pass?
“Yeah . . .He actually played 12 that day as well.”
What do you think of Fitzgerald wearing the number again?
“Anywhere on the pitch I’d love to see Luke Fitzgerald.”
The sons may not be shaped like the fathers, same stones, same grit though, and we are all better for it.
